Germany-based flooring manufacturer Parador celebrates the ground as the ultimate metaphor for understanding, diversity and tolerance with its “One Ground” brand campaign and the Design Edition derived from it through the design of Frank Petersen.
The remarkable flooring project has been awarded a 2021 Good Design Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
From the former Zollverein coal mine in Essen with its rustic rust and steel romanticism, to the historic market hall in Malaga, characterised by its oriental-floral ornamentation, to the Xiangshan Campus in Hangzhou with its classic Chinese roof shingle look: world-famous meeting places with their very special visual characteristics were the model for the eight extraordinary floorings of the “One Ground Design Edition” from Parador.
Positive, colorful, heterogeneous and relevant is how Parador prepares the ground for local and global exchange and inspiration with “One Ground.” “Ground is a space for living and the indispensable basis for nutrition, for life, space and property.
Ground connects people all over the world — regardless of origin, gender or religion. In times when people stand up together for their freedom, for justice and their personal ideals, places become meeting points where big and small stories are written and the world is changed,” according to the campaign statement.
Based on this approach, Parador has developed a brand and product campaign that focuses on the story behind the ground.
“The common feature between people is the essential basis for social and collective human action. We are sure that there are countless opportunities to continue to shape our world together, and that tomorrow, too, it will be the ‘we’ that counts above all else. In times like these, for us as an internationally operating company, ‘One Ground’ is more than just a campaign. It is an attitude,” stresses Birgit Kunth, Head of Brand, Marketing and Communication.
“When it came to developing the floorings, we put the places, the people and their stories at the centre of attention. Photos, film footage and conversations helped us to capture the essence of the places in a flooring decor,” says Birgit Kunth explaining the approach.
The resulting decors are thus not to be understood as dissociated designs but are embedded in the communicative approach of the campaign.
“With ‘One Ground’ we are taking a new and holistic approach to weaving strong brand communication with a sustainable design claim,” says Birgit Kunth.
Eight completely new floorings have been created in this way that combine the inspirations of the locations with the design of the home and the entrepreneurial attitude of the Parador brand.
Following the integrative approach, the Design Edition is relevant for end customers as well as for architects and property developers. “Accordingly, the collection comprises different product groups in order to satisfy the various demands with regard to the installation situation and pricing,” explains Birgit Kunth.
With two laminate, two vinyl with SPC core board, two Modular ONE, as well as two engineered wood floorings, the “One Ground Design Edition” covers the entire range of the Parador product portfolio.
The “Bologna” and “Copenhagen” floors appear in oak engineered wood flooring. Here you can choose between dark, smoked oak wood with milled edges or the light, typically Scandinavian engineered wood flooring with dark elements. If you prefer vinyl flooring, “Rann of Kutch” is a good choice.
With its violet shades and subtle ornamentation, this model is reminiscent of folkloric craftsmanship. “Hangzhou,” on the other hand, combines the Asian roof shingle look with a modern concrete style. With “Malaga” and “Rotterdam” there are two expressive laminate floorings in the Edition.
Here, the combination of shapes and colors in vintage tile look on the one hand, and a conjunction of wood and metal look in warm brown and cool turquoise tones on the other, are fascinating.
The resilient floor covering, Modular ONE, developed by Parador is also part of the Edition. While “Essen” inspires with linear textures in rust-brown and steel-grey, the “Athens” model with its white marble look provides modernity in the living room.
Project: One Ground Design Edition
Designers: Frank Petersen, Parador GmbH
Manufacturer: Parador GmbH
